“They didn’t seem to think there was going to be any kind of problem.”

However, before basic training began, Cook was informed that because of his non-traditional diploma he had Tier 2 status — and he was told that at that time the Marines were not accepting any Tier 2 applicants.

Cook then applied to the Army, but they rejected him too.

“He just wanted to go in and serve his country, and they totally destroyed his dream,” his mom said.

These types of policies may have shocked Cook and his family, but they have been around for years. Until a 1998 amendment to the Higher Education Act, home-schooled students were denied federal financial aid and faced barriers to college admission, writes Smollin.

“The Army and the National Guard limit the number of recruits they accept each year from non-traditional schools to 10 percent, the Navy and the Marine Corps won’t exceed 5 percent, and the Air Force limit is set at 1 percent.”

“A lot of our students come from military families,” she explained, “and it was a huge slap in the face to their families because it’s basically saying your parents are good enough [to serve] but their children are not.”